Author: Joseph Mercola

By Dr. Mercola As you age, it becomes harder to maintain muscle strength and bone health. Muscles tend to reduce in size unless you consistently exercise, which decreases strength and increases the likelihood of falls and fractures. Diet and exercise are two important components to consider if you want to live a long and healthy life. Protein is essential for proper muscle growth and maintenance—especially for seniors, as your body becomes increasingly less able to use dietary protein for building muscle—but I would recommend caution. There are drawbacks to eating too much protein. Balance is key, as is making sure … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola Unless you live in some remote wilderness, you’re likely being exposed to a wide variety of chemicals on a daily basis that can compromise your health. One class of chemicals that have become ubiquitous in the US is flame retardants. In the 1970s, the US implemented fire safety standards that led to more and more products adopting the use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) to meet the stringent regulations. PBDEs have a molecular structure similar to that of banned PCBs, the latter of which have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and impaired fetal brain development. And, … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body. While you might assume this is a uniquely human protein, it’s actually found in plants, too, including sugar beets. Researchers from Lund University in Sweden, who note that hemoglobin from blood donations falls far short of demands, hope that this plant hemoglobin, known as leghemoglobin, may one day become a blood substitute capable of saving lives. 2.5 Acres of Beets Could Save Thousands of Lives? Sugar beets (unfortunately often genetically modified) are a common raw material used for the production of sugar, but … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola Aluminum is a known neurotoxin, and according to Professor Christopher Exley of Keele University, aluminum-containing products are likely fueling the rise in Alzheimer’s disease.1 In an article published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology,2 he writes: “We are all accumulating a known neurotoxin in our brain from our conception to our death. The presence of aluminium in the human brain should be a red flag alerting us all to the potential dangers of the aluminium age. How do we know that Alzheimer’s disease is not the manifestation of chronic aluminium toxicity in humans?” People with aluminum toxicity … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola One of the most effective ways to achieve optimal health is to eat plenty of whole, organically-grown foods, and sprouts may offer some of the highest levels of nutrition. Best of all, you can easily and inexpensively grow sprouts at home. They’re a particularly excellent choice during winter months, when outdoor gardening is limited or ruled out. Another major benefit is that you don’t have to cook them. If you aren’t already gardening, they are a terrific way to get your toe in the water and start to experiment with the joy of growing your own food. … Continue reading →

Daily supplements with the probiotic Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055 may help weight loss in people with obese tendencies, according to new research. After twelve weeks of consuming a fermented milk product containing the Lactobacillus strain, study subjects averaged a 4.6 percent reduction in abdominal fat and a 3.3 percent reduction in subcutaneous fat. NutraIngredients reports: “Furthermore, body weight dropped by 1.4 percent and waist size decreased by 1.8 percent … The study extends previous findings … which showed LG2055 may reduce fat levels (adiposity) and fat cells in animals”. What does the bacteria in your gut have to do with your … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola Sometimes “the cure” leads to a worsening of the very problem you’re trying to solve. Such may be the case when it comes to antiperspirants. As reported by Real Clear Science,1 antiperspirants affect the bacterial balance in your armpits, leading to an even more foul-smelling sweat problem. The reason your sweat smells is because the bacteria living in your armpits break down lipids and amino acids found in your sweat into substances that have a distinct odor. Antiperspirants address this problem using antimicrobial agents to kill bacteria, and other ingredients such as aluminum that block your sweat … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola I’ve been interested in the health benefits of fiber for a long time—so much so, my classmates nicknamed me “Dr. Fiber” when I was in medical school in the ’70s. This was mostly stimulated by reviewing studies by Dr. Denis Brukitt, who has a lymphoma named after him. He passed away about 20 years ago. I’ve since come to appreciate that the type of fiber in your diet, as well as your gut health, play a major role in harnessing fiber’s health potential while avoiding its potential pitfalls. Visit the Mercola Video Library High-Fiber Diet Reduces All-Cause … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola According to the documentary, Sleepless in America, coproduced by the National Geographic Channel, 40 percent of Americans are sleep deprived. Many get less than five hours of sleep per night. Percentage-wise, adolescents are among the most sleep deprived. The consequences are dire, not just for the individual who isn’t getting enough rest, but for those around them as well. While most people don’t give lack of sleep much thought, there are in fact life-threatening consequences. Notably, “experts now believe that sleep deprivation may have played a role in the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Staten Island ferry … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola Magnesium is a mineral used by every organ in your body, especially your heart, muscles, and kidneys.1 If you suffer from unexplained fatigue or weakness, abnormal heart rhythms or even muscle spasms and eye twitches, low levels of magnesium could be to blame. If you’ve recently had a blood test, you might assume it would show a magnesium deficiency. But only 1 percent of magnesium in your body is distributed in your blood, making a simple sample of magnesium from a serum magnesium blood test not very useful. Most magnesium is stored in your bones and organs, … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola A recent article in The Week1 reviews seven things that will make you sick or lead to premature death according to science. Included in this list is smoking pot, being a pop star, playing football, and staying in an unhappy marriage. More important, I think, are the following four dietary and lifestyle factors—only three of which made it into the featured story: Excessive sugar consumption Artificial sweeteners Trans fat Vitamin D deficiency Too Much Sugar Reduces Your Lifespan A diet high in sugar (which includes processed fructose and grains) causes a host of health problems that can … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola When I first opened my medical practice in the mid-80s, cholesterol, and the fear of having too high a level was rarely discussed unless your cholesterol level was over 330 or so. Over the years, however, cholesterol became a household word for something you must keep as low as possible, or suffer the consequences. Today, dietary fat and cholesterol are typically still portrayed as the worst foods you can consume. This is unfortunate, as these myths are actually harming your health.1 Cholesterol is one of the most important molecules in your body; indispensable for the building of … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola The vast majority of doctors, dietitians, and personal trainers believe that when you burn fat during exercise, that fat is being used up as fuel for energy or heat. Some believe it’s excreted through urine or feces, while others think the fat is turned into muscle. All of these ideas are to some degree incorrect, according to Ruben Meerman, a physicist, and Andrew Brown, a biochemist specializing in lipids, who say there’s “surprising ignorance and confusion about the metabolic process of weight loss.” When You Lose Weight, Where Does the Fat Go? Their calculations, showing where the … Continue reading →